How to Hold a Rotary Cutter in Quilting
- 1). Place your self-healing cutting mat on a firm, flat surface. Lay your fabric on the cutting mat with the area to be cut within the boundaries of the mat. Position your rotary ruler on the fabric with the edge closest to your cutting hand aligned where the cut is desired.
- 2). Pick up the rotary cutter by the handle with the blade end facing away from your body. Rotate the cutter in your hand so that the blade is on the opposite side of the cutter head from your hand, positioned perpendicular to the cutting mat. Carefully remove the blade and attach it to the other side of the cutter head, if necessary, following the manufacturer's directions.
- 3). Grasp the handle of the rotary cutter with the blade end facing away from your body. Wrap your fingers around the cutter handle and rest your thumb on the ridged area on top of the handle, directly behind the cutter.
- 4). Release the safety and expose the blade. Hold the blade firmly against the edge of the rotary ruler, with the cutter at a 45-degree angle and the blade perpendicular to the cutting mat. Hold the ruler firmly in place with the other hand, with your fingers well away from the edge guiding the cutter.
- 5). Press down with the cutter gently but firmly. Roll the cutter forward, away from your body, along the edge of the ruler to cut the fabric.